Our Lady of Providence

Country

Puerto Rico

Description

Tradition says that the devotion to Our Lady of Providence, whom is a patron saint of Puerto Rico, is rooted in scripture and is largely attributed to Mary’s intervention at the wedding at Cana, which is known to be Jesus’ first miracle. Mary helped Jesus succeed in this miracle through her foresight, which was out of concern to avoid an embarrassing situation for the new couple. The painting of Our Lady of Providence is depiction of Mary leaning over the Child, Jesus, who peacefully sleeps on her lap while she holds his left hand between her own hands folded in prayer. The work was created by an Italian painter named Scipione Pulzone. He called his painting "Mater Divinae Providentiae”. Devotion to Our Lady of Providence originated in Italy in the 13th century and would later arrive in Spain. In 1854, the Bishop Gill Esteve y Tomás introduced the devotion of Our Lady of Providence to the Cathedral of San Juan in Puerto Rico. Bishop Gill Esteve y Tomas brought the devotion of Our Lady to San Juan due to the condition of the cathedral and the finances of the diocese in shambles. Through dedication to this devotion, the church and funds of the diocese were fully restored in less than 5 years. It was then that Bishop Esteve ordered that there be carved an image of Our Lady of Providence. On November 19th, 1969, Pope Paul VI, by signing a decree, declared her the patron saint of Puerto Rico. He then unified the celebration of the arrival of the image, which was on November 2, with the discovery of Puerto Rico, which occurred on November 19, 1493. By doing this, Pope Paul VI intended for Puerto Rico to celebrate their two greatest loves on the same day. These would be their love for their island and their love for Our Lady of Providence.